Free Tax Return Preparation Services
The Mulberry Community Service Center's Personal Finance Center administers the United Way of Central Florida's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Our team of IRS-certified volunteers prepares tax returns at no cost for clients with low to moderate household incomes. We e-file most returns, so if you are due a refund and choose direct deposit, you should receive your refund within a couple of weeks.
More than that, we are passionate about the financial stability of our clients. Building a savings account to help with emergencies is key to becoming financially stable. Our tax experts can help you use your refund to put cash into savings.
During the 2023 tax season, our 14 tax sites prepared 1,285 returns with 1,016 resulting in refunds. Over 13 percent of our taxpayers deposited their refunds to savings accounts for total savings of $472,179.
Still need to file your taxes?
The Mulberry Community Service Center can file current year taxes until October 28, 2023 to help late filers. In addition to current year tax returns, we can prepare tax returns for the previous three years as well. Please call (863) 425-1523 for an appointment.
To prepare for your tax appointment, please check below for a list of documents to bring, and don't forget your savings account information.
What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment:
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The free tax return preparation service is provided through the United Way of Central Florida's financial stability initiative, which prioritizes the importance of emergency savings accounts. For this reason, you are requested to bring SAVINGS account information rather than checking account information for direct deposit of refunds. This enables us to continue providing the free tax return preparation service.
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Savings Account information including routing and account numbers for direct deposit of refund
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Identification (driver’s license, photo ID, passport)
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Social Security card (or, if receiving Social Security, Form SSA-1099)
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If Married Filing Jointly: Both spouses must be present with photo IDs and Social Security cards or ITIN (individual taxpayer identification number)
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If claiming dependents, Social Security cards or ITINs for everyone claimed.
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Birthdates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the return
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Wage and earning statements (W-2, W-2G, 1099R, 1099 Misc, SSA-1099, etc.)
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Interest and Dividend Statements (1099-Int, 1099-Div)
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Form 1095-A if covered by Marketplace Health Insurance
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Total paid for daycare and the provider’s tax identifying number
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Any other tax form such as an IRS identify protection PIN number
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Last year’s tax return, if possible
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For 2021 returns the amount received for third stimulus payment
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For 2020 returns the amount received for first and second stimulus payments
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IRS Letter 6419 (amount of advanced child tax credit received)
Tax training (above) and tax preparation (below)
at the Mulberry Community Service Center
2024 Volunteer Opportunities
We need greeters and preparers for the 2024 tax season, and would love to have YOU! We provide training free of charge, so you will be confident and competent in your ability to prepare simple tax returns.
In early October 2023 we will finalize our tax preparation sites and schedules. Most will be the same as shown in the list below of this year's sites. We try to place you at the site of your choice, and volunteers commit one day (about five hours) a week for 11 weeks during tax season. The 8-hour training will be in November and December, and the volunteers are trained at the site they have chosen to work. The sites will be open for tax season the last week of January through the first week of April 2024.
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If you are interested in volunteering, or want more information, please email Suzanne Howe at SuzanneH@PersonalFinancePolk.org, or call Bobby Ramkarran at the Mulberry Community Service Center, (863) 425-1523, ext 103.